Cat adoptions at Jefferson Parish’s animal shelters have nearly doubled this month as the $67 adoption fee has been temporarily waived to deal with the influx of cats and kittens during the feline breeding season.

Adoption fees for cats are waived now until Thursday at the Jefferson Parish Animal Shelter.

The fee waiver, which runs through Thursday, is intended to reduce the number of cats euthanized, said Diane Guichard, who oversees the shelters in Marrero and Elmwood.

She said 54 cats and kittens were adopted during the first two weeks of this month. That’s up from 30 for the same time period last month, and it’s nearly five times as many cats as were adopted in the first two weeks of June 2010.

“I would say that’s an encouraging sign, especially the great increase from last year,” Guichard said.

She said this is the first time the parish has waived adoption fees to deal with the increase in cats and kittens brought to the shelters during the breeding season, which runs from May through August.

The adoption fee covers the cost of a veterinary exam, vaccinations, microchipping and spaying or neutering.

During the fee-waiver period, a $100 deposit is required to adopt any kitten deemed too young or small to undergo sterilization surgery. The deposit will be refunded once the surgery is performed at the shelter or by a private veterinarian.

Guichard said the Jefferson SPCA’s Fix-A-Feline program is offering free sterilization surgeries for feral and stray cats this month, while the cost for pet cats is $10. Call 504.733.5878 for more information.

Last year, about 64 percent of the 12,600 animals brought to the parish’s shelters were euthanized, Guichard said. That’s down from a euthanasia rate of about 80 percent a few years ago.

“More people are realizing that it’s important to get their animals spayed or neutered,” Guichard said.